Alan Davenport charged over online sports betting scam

Brlsbane

A FORMER evangelical pastor is among four men arrested over an alleged $10 million online sports betting scam based on the Gold Coast.
Alan Davenport, a former pastor with the Reach Out for Christ Pentecostal church and an ex-bankrupt, was arrested at his luxury waterfront home yesterday after a lengthy police investigation.
The arrests came 11 months after detectives raided the Gold Coast offices of Mr Davenport's WTS (World Trade Systems), and the homes of several employees. Police said the investigation followed complaints that "large numbers" of WTS investors from around Australia had lost more than $10 million in the sports arbitrage scheme –
in which customers were offered "guaranteed" wins by spreading their bets on all possible outcomes with different bookmakers.
WTS investors allegedly were offered a low-risk and tax-free income and invested an average of $20,000 to $80,000 in the scheme.
WTS offered investors a "100 per cent money-back guarantee" and its website proclaimed it was "impossible to lose your money with WTS".
Alleged victims included a Gold Coast pensioner who said he had invested almost $50,000 in the scheme.
Some investors hired a private investigator to try to track down their missing money, while others vented their anger on online forums.
After the raids last February, Reach Out for Christ founder Dr Steve Ryder publicly denied the scheme had any links to the church.
Mr Davenport's wife, Julie Le Franc, claimed she had fled their Robina home because of death threats and that she knew nothing of the alleged scam. She said she had told her husband that "the marriage was over".
Mr Davenport and the three other men arrested are expected to face Southport Magistrates Court today. They have been jointly charged with one count of fraud between November 2007 and February 2009.
Detective Inspector Marc Hogan, of Surfers Paradise CIB, said more than $10 million was unaccounted for and investigations were continuing.
"The State Crime Operations Fraud and Corporate Crime Group assisted in this investigation and will continue to provide further specialised support," he said.